Thursday, March 5, 1950 University Daily Kaneoan
Page 7
BACK TO THE ROAD—Packing costumes is a tedious and repetitive job for Winifred W. Sprague, wardrobe mistress of the "Lil' Abner"
touring company. Here Mrs. Sprague replaces Daisy Mae's ensemble in one of the large trunks. The show is now in Topeka.
Kansas Actor Returns in Li'l Abner
Dean (Gus) Dittman, who plays the supporting lead of Marryin' Sam in the "LiL Abner" touring company here last night said the troupe plans to spend seven more months on the road. The show has already toured for nine months.
A native of Frontenac, Kan., Mr. Dittman went to Broadway in 1906, a year after graduation from Pittsburgh State Teachers College. There he played a role in the "Guys and Dolls" road show as Nicey-Nicely
Goes One-Wheel 'To Be Different'
The projected Bicycle Emphasis Week will be kid stuff to at least one KU freshman.
Priddy says he took up unicycling "to be different."
Donald Friddy, Stafford, built and mastered a unicycle seven years ago and brought the machine here with him.
"I designed and built my own unicycle and my dad bet me I couldn't learn to ride it in a week. With six to eight hours practice each day, I won the bet," he said.
Priddy said his home in Stafford is near a park, where quite a few people have taken pictures of him on his unicycle when he was out for his morning ride.
"I led the parade for the Stafford County Fair for two years in a row." Priddy said.
Priddy said he has thought about riding his unicycle to class, but has no parking permit.
"It's hard to ride except on level ground, so I've restricted my cycling to the second floor of Joseph R. Pearson Hall," he said.
"When the weather warms up, I plan to take it outside." he said. He said he hopes no one driving past the dormitory wraps his car around a telephone pole while trying to figure out what manner of beast is going around on one wheel.
And what does his roommate think about the situation?
"I tried to ride it once, and couldn't even get on the thing."
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and eventually took a part in "The Most Happy Fella."
He started show business as a chorus boy at Kansas City's Starlight Theater during 1951 and 1952. Last summer he returned to the theater to play Herman in "The Most Happy Fella." Next year he will perform the same role in an MGM movie.
"I rarely get home, except for a couple of weeks in the summertime," Mr. Dittman said, "and I am certainly thrilled at being able to tour through Kansas."
Mr. Dittman was impatient because a host of friends, including his former high school teacher, Mrs. R. W. Hart, now wife of Pittsburgh mayor, was waiting to see him.
"It's good to be back in Lawrence," he said. "The only reason I didn't go to school here was because they wouldn't give me a scholarship." Mr. Dittman, well over 200 pounds, did not say whether he meant a football or music scholarship.
At Pittsburg, he did get a scholarship which set him off successfully. He was also given the Lauritz Meichior Award and a year's study at the Sorbonne in Paris. There ne made his debut in the opera "Faust."
"Opera has always been my desire, but I would rather eat. In order to make a go of it in opera these days, a fella needs at least $50,000 in back of him. Having nothing like this, I quickly adapted to musical-comedy. Besides, it is more pleasant working at a regular job," he said.
The leading lady, Patricia Northrop (Daisy Mae), was under doctor's orders not to perform.
The show will open a weekend run in Topeka tonight, and then will move to Wichita, Mr. Dittman said. These are the only stops in Kansas.
"Pat has been ill with flu or something for a few days now, and the doctor today said she needed a few days' rest. But like a trupper, the kid went on, even though her understudy was read." Sherwood Goozee, the production manager, said.
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LIL ABNER AND DAISY—Robert Kaye and Patricia Northrop are shown in costume for their roles in "Li'l Abner."
Thieves Use Fire Insurance
WAYCROSS, Ga. — (UPI) -- Burglars who apparently forgot their flashlights broke into an insurance firm here and searched the office using flaming insurance policies, police reported.
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